The League

Happy Harbor was a small coastal town. It always was quiet compared to the other coastal town and cities in Rhode Island. It never had a big fishing industry like many of the others…there was enough to keep the locals in jobs and the money rolling into the town but nothing massive. The tourists never really flocked to the town either, it was a nice place which had a couple of nice beaches and in the summer got a good deal of sun but there wasn’t enough going on around the city in order to bring more than those seeking a quiet week away.

All of this however was changing. Events were underway currently on the most unassuming of nights for those in the town who ate at one of the little restaurants in the town or saw that boy or girl in their class that they were only just starting to date and everyone else in the town.

It was tonight of all nights that 8 strange figures from disparate backgrounds, with different personalities and goals in life were coming together to make history. It was this fact which would change the fortunes of the little town in the future.

Orin tread water just off the coast. His eyes worked exceptionally well in the dark especially above water as he looked at the entrance way to the cave where they were meant to be meeting. He did not want to be the first to arrive, he didn’t want to seem desperate to meet up with the other figures with whom his life had become entwined. He was barely in his 20s, had little experience with other humans and no experience with other super-humans. He was in short a little bit nervous.

“Nervous?” asked a voice behind him. He recognized it’s deep tone and the calm way in which it formed it’s words. The blonde haired fish man turned and looked up at the figure who hovered in the air above him.

The hero known as Aquaman looked nervously at Superman and then shook his head. “I was making sure it was safe.” Aquaman spoke in a thick accent unlike any Clark had ever heard before, it took him a second to decipher what had been said.

Superman nodded “So just me that’s nervous then?” he smiled warmly. He could see Aquaman was being cautious but thought it had more to do with nerves than with watching for safety. He knew that Batman would be doing all of that from some darkened location.

He scanned the coast with his X-Ray vision. The cave where they were meeting had various metals in the ground around it (lead being the worst one as far as he was concerned) which meant he couldn’t really see into it too well. This was no doubt part of Batman’s idea.

Batman and Superman had teamed up several times over the past few months. They were getting to know one another quite well. Quite well despite keeping their identities and most of the things about themselves hidden from one another. He knew Batman was a cautious one.

Aquaman looked up at Superman with awe. He out of the rest of the assembling heroes was the one who would do it least, the one who had not been exposed to video after video of the red and blue hero but still he did it. It was a look that Kal-El last son of Krypton would have to get used to but currently it just made him a little uncomfortable.

Superman had only been a public figure for about 7 months but he was already the heroes hero. They had all seen videos of him punching out giant robots, saving crashing shuttles and holding up the Metropolis bridge as it collapsed amongst many others which graced the news every night.

It was not something Clark was comfortable with, he knew when he dressed in bright clothing and flew around that he would have to get used to celebrity but as far as he was concerned he was just a farm boy from Kansas just a little lost in the big city. He looked at the feats of the other heroes with astonishment and wondered what he would do in their situations.

“Would you mind if I flew in with you?” he asked in a rather polite way, his Ma had always taught him to mind his Ps&Qs.

“Please be my guest,” smiled Aquaman and began to swim towards the shore at a bit of a faster rate. Superman hovered in the air by him. “Have you been busy since Yesterday?”

“The usual, some robberies, there was a mudslide in Venezuela which needed my attention for a few hours. You?”

Aquaman blushed. He had mostly spent the day swimming around the ocean telling his Dolphin mother about his adventures the day before. “Yes,” he responded “just the usual.”

The two reached the shore line just in time to see a single headlight making it’s way across the sands towards them. They looked at one another and smiled, they knew exactly who this was. The black motorcycle slowed to a stop and the figure turned off the ignition before sitting back. She reached for her helmet and took it off with a big smile flashing to the men. “Hey boys, nice night for it isn’t it?”

She bit the inside of her lip gently, the two men couldn’t help but blush slightly. The Black Canary was a newcomer to the superhero scene. The best the two of them knew yesterday was her very first outing and yet she had handled herself magnificently. She first of all shattered the glass alien creature with something called her ‘Canary Cry’…which when she used it against the second alien threat later in the day had brought Clark to his knees until he managed to get quickly out of it’s way. Super hearing and sonics it seemed did not mix.

She was a gorgeous blonde bombshell. She was a few years younger than the men at least. Clark guessed she must have been in her early 20s if not younger, Orin couldn’t really put an age to her at all. He had spent most of his life raised in the sea by dolphins and had met very few human women. He did however know that Black Canary was different to all of them so far…he wasn’t even sure what a Canary was.

She climbed from her bike and unzipped her leather jacket to reveal the tight black number she wore atop her fishnets. She flicked her hair back and fired them another smile. Superman wondered if she was cold given the chill in the sea air. He was about to ask but then thought better of it.

Dinah Laurel Drake was the 19 year old face of The Black Canary. She of all the Superheroes here tonight (except maybe Wonder Woman who would certainly not show it at all) was the least nervous. She was the second Black Canary and the daughter of the original. She had spent her entire life around superheroes being raised by the various members of the long defunct JSA.

She didn’t need to worry about Flash or Green Lantern because her uncles were the men they’d patented themselves on. She didn’t fear Batman because she had hung around with Doctor Midnight and The Sandman. Why would she feel in awe of Superman when she had spent one memorable Birthday racing to the edges of time with Dr Fate.

She was confidant but not cocky, outgoing but not brash by any sense of the word. All of her bluster and flirting was just for show. ‘Keep them distracted,’ was her mother’s advice for her while she was training. It was not the true personality of little and mousy Dinah Drake…or perhaps it was and she just needed the wig and the fishnets to let it all out without feeling so self conscious.

“No more signs of the Appleaxians?” she asked. It was only the day before that the 8 of the heroes had managed to turn away an entire invasion force in the shape of 8 giant elemental creatures who turned the humans of the cities and towns where they landed into creatures like them. They had managed to see them off but Dinah couldn’t help but think it had all been a little too easy. Still watching out for alien threats worldwide was a little beyond her capabilities.

“None that I’ve noticed, Green Lantern would probably be the best to ask,” Superman nodded. Aquaman stood quietly unsure of how to address the female.

“So should we go in?” asked Aquaman. Dinah titled her head slightly as she mentally tried to figure out what he had just said and then nodded when she understood.

“So Superman and Aquaman,” Canary smiled at them “You guys must have pretty interesting origins?”

The two men looked at one another and then at her. The truth was at this point neither of them really knew too much about their origins. Clark only knew that he wasn’t exactly from around here and Aquaman knew that he was raised by Dolphins and then later by a lonely light house keeper but he was clearly the same as neither of these parents.

“I really should have thought about bringing a flashlight,” said Black Canary with a little mental curse. She had wanted to present herself perfectly to these big guns of superheroics on her second day as a public figure.

“Allow me pretty lady,” said a voice from the dark. Green light suddenly illuminated two figures who were sitting at a large wooden table which had 8 chairs around it. They were Green Lantern and The Flash.